JANUARY 11, 2014 MirTHErARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXIV, NO. 25, Issue 4319 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Smoking Rates among Echmiadzin Damascus Armenian Men Third Highest in the World YEREVAN (Public Radio of Armenia) — Despite anti-smoking campaigns and smoking bans in many places, researchers have observed more people smoke worldwide today than in 1980, said the find - ings in the Journal of the American Medical Association , according to medindia.net. The study, led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, measured data from 187 countries. It found that the global smoking rate among men was 41 percent in 1980, but has since declined to an average of 31 percent. Among women, the esti - mated prevalence of daily tobacco smoking was 10.6 percent in 1980, and by 2012 that had fallen to 6.2 percent. The highest smoking rates among men in 2012 President Serge Sargisian and his wife, Rita, attended Syrian Armenians light candles during the Christmas Day were in Timor-Leste (61 percent) and Indonesia (57 Christmas Services at Holy Echmiadzin. Mass at Airmen Orthodox church in Damascus (Reuters) percent), followed by Armenia (51.5 percent), Russia (51 percent) and Cyprus (48 percent). Pontifical Divine Liturgy for the Remaining Armenians Pray for Top countries for women smokers were Greece Holy Nativity and Theophany in Peace at Christmas in Damascus (34.7 percent) and Bulgaria (31.5 percent). The Mother See of Echmiadzin DAMASCUS (Reuters) — A small congregation of Two Suspects Arrested Armenian Orthodox Christians prayed for peace at a ECHMIADZIN — On January 6, on the Feast of the Holy Christmas service in Old Damascus on Monday and reflect - In Hrant Dink Case Nativity and Theophany, Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and ed on the hardships of living in an uneasy middle ground in ISANBUL (Armenpress) — Two suspects in the Catholicos of All Armenians, celebrated a Divine Liturgy at Syria’s increasingly sectarian conflict. murder case of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant the Mother Cathedral. They lamented a low turnout compared to previous years Dink were arrested on Tuesday in the northwestern Under a canopy, a Pontifical Procession led the catholicos — many have fled Syria and others were unable to get province of Trabzon, Turkey. The Court decided to and President Serge Sargisian, walked to the cathedral. The through a maze of checkpoints and traffic bottlenecks to arrest Osman Hayal and Zeynel Abidin Yavuz when canopy bearers were Hrach Martikyan, Armenian-Sudanese reach the church of St. Sarkis for Armenian Christmas, cel - they failed to appear before the court, the Anadolu benefactor; Armen Elbakyan, art patron in the Republic of ebrated on January 6. Agency reported. Armenia; Hravard Hakobyan, art critic; and Tigran “You used to see this entire church courtyard full, but it’s Hayal is the brother of Yasin Hayal, who was Nersisyan, celebrated actor. been fewer and fewer people every season,” said one of the charged with being the instigator of the assassination. Bishop Hovnan Hakobian, grand sacristan of the Mother community organizers who, like all those interviewed for Dink was assassinated in Istanbul in January Cathedral of Holy Echmiadzin, and Bishop Mushegh this article, asked to remain anonymous due to sensitivities. 2007, by Ogün Samast, a 17-year-old Turkish Babayan, operations director of the Mother See of Holy “The trouble is many would have liked to come today but nationalist. This was shortly after the premiere of see CHRISTMAS, page 2 see DAMASCUS, page 16 the Armenian Genocide documentary “Screamers,” in which he is interviewed about Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and the case California Assemblyman Mike Gatto Introduces against him under Article 301. Petition Aims to Resolution to Recognize Nagorno Karabagh Echmiadzin Donates to Change Verdict SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Assemblyman tion calling for US recognition of the Syria Schools Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) joined with Armenian Genocide and on legislation Supporting people of Armenian descent around extending the statute of limitations for ECHMIADZIN (Panorama) — To mark the California and the world in calling for the victims of the genocide to file insurance Christmas season, the Mother See of Holy United States to recognize the Nagorno- claims. The Assemblyman has also sup - Etchmiadzin has transferred $100,000 to the Genocide Denial Karabagh Republic as a sovereign state Damascus Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic this week. The resolution he introduced, Church to meet the needs of the Armenian schools PARIS — The Coordination Council of AJR 32, invokes strong language from the in Syria. Armenian Organizations of France United States’ own history regarding the The situation in Syria and the conditions of (CCAF) has launched a petition asking rights of the people to “self-determination Syrian Armenians remain the focus of Catholicos of Switzerland to appeal the most recent and democratic independence.” If Gatto’s All Armenians Karekin II and the Mother See of judgment of the European Court of resolution passes, it would make Holy Echmiadzin. The Armenian Apostolic Church Human Rights (ECHR), which found in California the most populous governmen - dioceses provide regular assistance to Syrian December that Dogu Perinçek, president tal entity to call for Nagorno-Karabagh Armenians in order to help them overcome the of the Workers’ Party of Turkey, could recognition, or to recognize it outright. hardships they face in that country’s civil war. not be condemned for saying publicly in In 1921, the Soviet Union illegally sev - Geneva in 2007 that the “so-called ered Nagorno-Karabagh, also known as Armenian genocide is an imperialist lie.” Artsakh, from Armenia, and placed it The letter says, in part, “In a decision under the newly created Soviet of 17 December 2013, which will remain Azerbaijani administration. Seventy years INSI DE an absolute disgrace in the history of the later, the people there formed the European Court of Human Rights, this Nagorno-Karabagh Republic. On January jurisdiction which has never so little 6, 1992, the democratically elected legis - California Assemblyman Mike Gatto deserved its name, decided to give rea - lature of the Republic formally declared Looking son to Dogu Perincek, the zealous and independence. Since proclaiming inde - determined denier of the Armenian pendence, the Nagorno-Karabagh ported events sponsored by each organi - Genocide by proposing to condemn Republic has registered significant zation, including their stellar efforts to Back... Switzerland for its infringement of free - progress in democracy building, including raise money for Armenians in need Pages 8-10 dom of expression! a presidential election last year that was around the world. “The community is “At present imprisoned in Turkey for assessed by international observers as united in support of recognizing Nagorno- taking part in the attempted coup by the free and transparent. Karabagh,” stated Gatto. Ergenekon organisation (which did not Three organizations that have already “It has been my privilege on this resolu - prevent Ankara from defending him expressed support for the legislation are tion to work with the leaders of the local INDEX before the ECHR in this particular the Armenian Council of America (ACA), Armenian American community and their Arts and Living . 11 case), Dogu Pericenk had indeed claimed the Armenian National Committee of outstanding representatives,” said Gatto. Armenia . 2 that the ‘Armenian Genocide’ was an America (ANCA), and the Unified Young “I am especially honored to introduce this Community News. 4 ‘international lie’ at a series of meetings Armenians (UYA). legislation on a day when Armenians Editorial . 14 in Switzerland. Gatto has worked with each of these around the world are celebrating International . 3 see PETITION, page 3 organizations on legislation he has Christmas with family and loved ones.” authored in the past, including a resolu - see RESOLUTION, page 16 2 S ATURDAY , J ANUARY 11, 2014 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Pontifical Divine Liturgy for the Holy Nativity and Theophany in The Mother See of Echmiadzin Nalbandian Confirms Meeting with Azeri Counterpart LIMA, Peru (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian confirmed talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co- chairs will take place in Paris in the second half of January. During a meeting with representatives of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nalbandian spoke about the efforts to resolve the Nagorno Karabagh conflict through peaceful means. Meanwhile, Trend news agency said that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, James Warlick of the United States and Jacques Fore of France, will next week meet with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter to discuss the Nagorno Karabagh conflict settlement. The source also voiced hope that a meeting between Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will take place late January, as it was earlier reported by Turan news agency. The OSCE MG Co-chairs met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on December 15 in Baku and with Armenian President Serge Sargisian on December 16 in Yerevan. They travelled to Nagorno Karabagh on December 17. The Divine Liturgy at Holy Echmiadzin with